The Test

chapter one

                Aria’s eyes snapped open, her mind immediately sharp and alert. Where am I? She wondered, scanning the room. The walls were solid white, as were the floor and ceiling. Her back was propped up against a wall, her knees pressed up against her chest. Aria stretched out her legs and stood, noticing for the first time, the grey backpack on the ground beside her. She grabbed the bag and opened it, inside were several water bottles, a small container of dried meat, fruit and nuts. Aria dug her hand deeper into the pack searching for any buried items. She pulled out a large knife with jagged edges. Her lip trembled as she wondered why she would need a knife. Arid ran her finger along the edge of the blade; blood welled up on the fresh cut.

                “Greetings 1590,” a friendly but mechanical male voice intoned.

                Aria spun around, the blood running freely down her finger. Then she spotted the lone speaker phone mounted to the wall where it meet the ceiling.

                “Who are you?” demanded Aria.  

                The voice laughed, “Who I am does not matter, 1590, but you may call me MAL.”

                Aria brandished the knife, “My name is Aria, not 1590!” she screamed, “And I want to go home, now!”

                “You cannot leave 1590,”

                Aria shook the blade at the speaker phone, “They’ll find me, you’ll go to jail for kidnapping!”  

                “They? Who will find me?”  

                He was right; aria had no one, no family friends or co-workers. No one would know that she was gone. Aria sunk to the ground, tears streaming from her eyes. Her chestnut brown hair fell in her face, clinging to her wet cheeks. The knife clattered to the ground as she sobbed. On the other side of the room, a panel of wall slid away to reveal a hallway, similar to her room.

                “You may begin the test. There is only one rule,” MAL informed Aria, “live.”

                Aria cried until she had no tears left and her eyes were dry. Then she sat sniffling for several minutes, finally she stood, swinging the pack over her shoulder and scooped the knife up off of the ground. After a moment’s hesitation, Aria slipped the blade of the knife through her belt, like a makeshift sheath. She stood in the doorway; the hall was strait for about a hundred meters until it turned right. As Aria walked, she tried to understand how she had gotten here.

                Aria had been walking down the street, and incredibly heavy box in her arms, beside her, her best friend, Mark, carried another box. Aria placed the box on top of her car and fished her car keys from her purse, to unlock the doors. Mark popped the trunk open and placed his box, then hers inside then closed it.

                Aria had been laid off of her job and it was now time for her to leave. Mark and Aria said their farewells and promised to keep in touch. Aria leaned up against the side of her small blue car, watching Mark leave. Suddenly there had been a sharp, jabbing pain in her right shoulder, and then everything had gone black.

                Aria rolled up her sleeve and spied the small red cut where the tranquilizer dart had hit her. She let her sleeve fall back into place. Aria turned the corner and found herself facing what appeared to be a large blue force field. There was nothing visible beyond the field.  

“What is this?” Aria demanded.

                Aria was rewarded immediately with MAL’s voice, “This is the first test, 1590,”

                “Aria,” she informed him absent mindedly.

                Aria took a large breath and stepped through the force field. She found herself in a large room filled with numerous obstacles in her path.

                “Three, two, one, zero!” MAL announced.

                Aria looked up, all other worries forgotten as she saw the enormous wooden box plummeting towards her.